Wednesday, December 31, 2014

After another trip, more shopping recommendations. First, if you can go to SV MOSCOW, do: amazing beautifully designed space with a well-curated selection of Russian and otherwise avant-garde designers, from Comme des Garcons to A.F. Vandervorst to KTZ, to more obscure labels such as Gosha Rubchinskiy. This is where I scored these amazing quilted CdG pants (posed with a sweater by The Row).

I also bought this CdG sweater and AF Vandervorst booties. Yes, heavier than usual shopping, bit the selection was too good to resist.

Here're a few more pics of the space and the merch;

I have to give props to the staff as well, always attentive and helpful. I mention it since as a middle-aged woman who doesn't look like the usual fashion person, I have encountered complete indifference as well as borderline disdain in many edgy boutiques. Always nice to encounter an exception!

PRIMEROVA was having an open house in their new space right off Nikolskaya St. Sadly, I wasn't able to meet the designer. I did however met the store cat!

Stopped by Traffik+. Nothing bought, but nice browsing and lovely selection by Rodebjer and Humanoid!

As always, Winzavod is lovely and inspiring, and the graffiti there is as good as shopping!

Here're some pictures of pre-New Year Moscow streets, because most of the point in downtown shopping is wandering through the streets and gawking, and of course warming up with hot chocolate from Shokoladnitsa and pastries from kiosks.

And once I got home, there was a package from Totokaelo waiting for me under the tree! Check out the lovely packaging:

The dress is Issey Miyake's PLEATS PLEASE number in navy and purple. For truly, Japanese avant-garde is a great joy, and I'm so glad I can find it on both sides of the Atlantic!

Tuesday, December 02, 2014

So the #BlackoutBlackFriday is over, and I am not much for promoting sales. However, today is Giving Tuesday, and I wanted to draw your attention to a new charity shop on the e-block, Union&Fifth. It is a charity shop in the original sense: you donate your (designer, gently used or new) clothes, and they sell them, with all proceeds going to charity. However, there are a few unique things about this site, which are worth mentioning.

First, when you donate, you can select which organization you want the benefits to go to from the list of charities on the site -- currently, U Mass Boston, Year Up, Wonder Dog Rescue, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, etc etc. You can even start your own campaign! They price and photograph things for you, with 75% of the sales going to the charity of your choice, with the rest being used for the operating costs of Union&Fifth (also a registered non-profit).

Second, when you shop, you can sort everything by charity or in a more traditional way -- into tops, bottoms, dresses, etc. They have curated selections of sweaters and Chanel. You can search by the label or designer -- so the website basically functions like any other high-end consignment store, similar to TheRealReal, say, except that all proceeds go to good causes. None of that a nickel per lid bullshit! The pricing is comparable to TheRealReal as well.

This seems like a really new and interesting thing, and I hope it does well. I have a vested interest: among the resale sites I've seen, this one has the most comprehensive selection of Zoran pieces. Yes, I've been obsessed with Zoran lately, as witnessed by these pics from a recent NYC trip. Here, I am wearing his quilted jacket and a cashmere sweater. The skirt is from Viktor Luna's sample sale, the bag is Cuyana.

Here's the closeup of the jacket and the sweater, so you can get the feel of the texture (and the closeup of the admissions stamp from The Met, because we went to see Death Becomes Her.)

Both are wonderful pieces, quintessentially Zoran: timeless, simply cut, in luxe natural fabrics. They are almost always made in one size, and I love the drape and the weight of the sweater, as well as the sculptural simplicity of the jacket.

So yes, I was quite happy to discover that Union&Fifth carries a fantastic selection, that gives me a chance to snag a few more pieces at really good prices. I am going to Moscow again in a few days, and I usually travel with a single carry-on bag. These clothes tend to pack in small spaces (after all, they were created for a jet-pack), and travel well. Cashmere sweaters, wool pants, and silk tops are perfect for travel, and warm enough for my destination. And hey, since they are single size, there is a good chance that my mom will appropriate a piece or two. Not that I mind.